Copyright© 2006, Girl Interrupted

Michelle looked out at the grey sky, it being one of those days where the rain can't decide whether to hold off, or bucket down, and decides instead to alternate, much to the frustration of people trying to organise things. Being twelve was hard enough, being twelve on a rainy day really sucked.

She had tried to plan a trip to the movies for a few mates, and things had fallen through. School holidays, while a relief from the usual boring routine of homework/test/homework/quiz, were fairly boring. Most of her friends were either away for the holidays, heading down south to Margaret River or Mandurah, or tied up with family stuff, visiting relatives that had come in.

Tammy had called, but was flat broke. Her parents were stopping her allowance for some disruption or other she caused at school - but that was Tammy in a nutshell. Disagreeable for the sake of disagreement. She would state absolutely that farts caused earthquakes if it would provoke an argument.

Michelle called Tammy back "Hey, what you up to?"

"Nothin, what's with TV on the holidays? It's all crap."

"Wanna come over or something? Dad said he can pick you up."

"Sure, better than hanging around here."

Michelle egged her father into picking Tammy up from her house, about ten minutes away. He was quite happy to do it, aware that Michelle was bored on a rainy day, but made her agree to do the dishes after dinner in return for the picking up and dropping off. Michelle agreed, and they drove over to Tammy's.

Tammy was waiting outside under the pergola. She saw the car coming down the street, and rushed into the backseat next to Michelle. Her hair was matted down from the rain, as if she'd been waiting outside for a while.

"Stupid dad, can't take a joke!" she complained.

"Why, what did you do now?" asked Michelle.

"I made myself lunch, and when he whinged about me not clearing up, I told him to get a cleaner with the money he's NOT giving me for allowance."

Michelle giggled. Tammy and her dad had something of a love/hate relationship. While he saw a lot of himself in her as a teenager, he tried to raise her properly. This had resulted in something of a paradox - Tammy was capable of acting appropriately when needed (getting out of lunch detention at school being a good example), but she was also a hell raiser. Michelle's brother Mark had described Tammy a few times as a "shit stirrer", and it was an accurate description.

Michelle's dad took pity on the two girls, chafing at the bit from being kept inside all weekend. He stopped off at the video store, and they rented some movies, and then stopped off to pick up some take-away chou mein.

Back at home, Michelle and Tammy immediately organised themselves, while her dad watched with amusement and worry as they disconnected the VCR and dragged it upstairs to Michelle's room. He set out some plates, forks, glasses and a bottle of Fanta on a tray, and bought it upstairs, where it was eagerly pounced on by the two girls. It wasn't a bad arrangement as far as they were all concerned - Tammy and Michelle got take away and entertainment, and Michelle's dad got the afternoon to himself.

Michelle and her best friend inhaled the chinese, and downed most of the Fanta at the same time. Tammy, of course, couldn't resist a few loud burps, which Michelle tried to copy. The end result was the two of them rolling around on beanbags laughing hysterically, swigging soft drink and trying to say the alphabet in burps.

They spent the entire afternoon like that, giggling and carrying on as only girls of that age can. When Michelle's dad checked on them, they were both asleep. This wasn't unusual, sometime's they'd conk out for a while and come downstairs later with a huge appetite. Still, he had to smile at the sight of his daughter and her best friend sprawled out on her bed, having a nap.

When Michelle and Tammy were up and about, it was about 8.30pm. They both came downstairs and wolfed up a large helping of spaghetti each, giggling and chatting throughout. There was a resurgence of the burping competition from before, but it was won easily by Michelle's dad, as he laughed along and let out a massive belch that seemed to shake the windows in their frames. He did the dishes (despite the earlier arrangement), and called Tammy's house, letting them know she would be staying the night.

Michelle and Tammy had turns in the shower, and dressed for bed. Michelle got into her pyjamas - fuzzy pink flannel ones, whereas Tammy simply shucked off her jeans, took off her bra and slept in a tshirt and knickers. Michelle's dad grabbed the sleeping bags from the shed, and rolled them out on the floor of her room. He wished them a good night, and went downstairs to relax and go to bed in his own time.

Michelle and Tammy brushed their teeth, and made for the sleeping bags. While they were in the bathroom, Michelle couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of Tammy. Long ash-blonde hair in ringlets bobbing around her shoulders, stunning blue eyes and an incorrigible personality. She was more physically developed, her body being well on the way to its grown up shape. Tammy sported slightly flaring hips, a more rounded figure, and a set of small but well-formed boobs set perkily high up on her chest. Michelle was still pretty much the same shape she'd been for the last few years - if it wasn't for the shortness of height and the long, dark brunette hair framing her oval face she could have been mistaken for a younger boy. Braces and glasses didn't her self confidence with regards the opposite sex either. Tammy was also further ahead with boys. Michelle had never had a boyfriend, or been asked out. Tammy seemed to go through a revolving set of boyfriends, crushes and potential interests.